Wrapping machine



Oct. 21 1924- J. C. SHULTS WRAPPING MACHINE Filed July 20. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. C. SHULTS WRAPPING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mi rzn gvwemtoz Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES C. SHULTS, 0F MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 RUSSAUTOLIATIC LABELING (10., OF MEADVILLE, ZPENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WBAIPPING- MACHINE.

Application filed July 20, 1920. Serial N0. 397,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. SHULTs, citizen of the United States, and a resident of Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improved V'Jrapping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrapping machines, and the main object is to stretch the label during the wrapping process to evenly cover different diameters.

I accomplish this by a plurality of yielding wrapping belts contacting with the tempered label, while the packages clamped upon a revoluble head make several com plete revolutions during the wrapping and stretching process, thus producing a smoothly labeled package free from wrinkles and accommodating inequalities in the diameter of the package. The package traveling faster than the wrapping belts pulls the label during its expansible period over the belts, thereby producing a wiping and stretching efiect. The several revolutions of the pack age during the wrapping insures a smooth and tightly wrapped package, because the extra revolutions thoroughly set the surface and end lap of the label.

With these objects in view, my invention comprises the various features of construction hereinafter described in the following specification, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine,

Figure 2 is an end view,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section showing one of the chuck plates in the opened position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the bed of the machine, 2 the bed plate, 8 the legs, and 4 the revolving head bearing brackets, upon which are mounted standards 5 supporting the package conveyor 6. Suitably arranged in extended portions of the bracket 4, is a drive shaft 7 having secured thereto a gear 8 for revolving the master driving head gear 9 and head plate 10, both of which are keyed to the shaft 53, the drive shaft 7 being driven by any suitable source of power. This constitutes the complete revoluble head, upon which are mounted the operating mechanism for receiving, holding and releasing the packages, which for example are of a cylindrical type, having varying diameters, such as are used for oats and similar cereal foods,baking powder, etc. As the package drops from the conveyor 6 into the revolving head, it is received between two centering discs 11, which automatically center or place the packages in proper position to be gripped by the chuck plates 13 and the base plates 51, forming a clamping device, which in its rotation is timed to receive the package when directly under the opening A of the conveyor 6. When the machine is in operation, all the chuck plates 13 and the base plates 51 are revolving continuously driven by pinion gears 14. having a planetary movement around the stationary gears or circular racks 15, secured to brackets 4 by means of a set screw 54:. The pinion gear 14 is secured to the shaft 16 which is provided with a shoulder portion 17 adjacent to which is a loose collar 18 with a pin 19 engaging a yoke 20 of the rocker arms 21 pivoted at 29 to the removable brackets 22 fastened to the revolving head gear 9. tatable on the end of each of the rocker arms 21 engages the cam or track 24 upon the right hand'stationary gear or rack 15 during the rotation of the head, which actuates the rocker arm 21 whereby the chuck plate 13 opens outwardly from the base plate 51. One chuck plate and one base plate form one clamping unit, there being one clamping unit to each of the rocker arms 21 spaced apart upon the revolving gear head 9. As the package P see Fig. 3) is received onto the centering discs, 11, the roller 23 leaves the cam or track 24, causing the rocker arm 21 under the tension of a spring 25, to move inwardly whereby the package P is gripped sufficiently for the labeling process.

L is the label which is fed under and against the paste roll 26 by belts 2'? running between discs 27 and then stripped by strippers 27 and guided by the roll 52 onto the wrapping belts 28 which are driven at a greater speed than the paste roll 26. The belts 27 travel slower than paste roll 26, so that the latter pulls the label along by its adhesion to roll 26. The label as it travels on and with the yielding wrapping belts 28, is gripped between the relatively fast rotating package and the relatively slower moving wrapping belts 28, before it has entirely left the paste roll 26, and due to the A roller 28 110- around the package and over end etc, wlthout wrinkles or tearing. and obgreater speed where the label is g Q o than the paste roll speed it is here also slightly stretched before leaving the paste roll The slower moving belts 2S moving in the same direction as the package and lab progressively wipe the label on the pa as it is laid, stretching it where nee over end caps, beads, etc. In order cure a well pasted down lap of the three or more revolutions of the l provided for, the wrapping belts c... ing over the necessary portion of the rev ing head to permit The w belts 28, asingle wide belt) by the belt pulley 30 nearest th 26, passing around rolls 31 The roll 83 is weighted and sli f a c suin in on 1 oracuet. o. 30 g d h l gs 35 a d 0 s to keep a certain fined tension ot the wrap- D111? belts 28 the tension being as to o 7 Ll not damage the label duru process. This provides a A is and wiping and stretching belt in d to a pressure belt, and further allows tor variation 01" diameter of the pacia cs du'- ing their rolling and wrappin The weighted roll 33 also takes of the belts when the revolv ries no package between the ch plate 13 and the base plate 51, the wran ping belts at such times travelling over spacer rolls 4-0, as seen in 1, illustrated at S.

The bearing brackets 37 and 351 are bun; in a water box L2 and it necessary the w" ping belts 28 may pass throug c .i assures clean wrapping belts on their retina to the roll 30 nearest the paste roll for their next wrapping process. .r't'lter the washing of the belts. they travel between the roll 34- and wringerroll 4:3 composed of rubher or the like, the bearings of ich are made adjustable by a nut 4 lthrea ded eye bolt bearing 45, one on each side roll, and extending; through the lugs 46 and 1-? between which a thrust ing is provided the nut t. The ad ment of the nut 44 provides for what desired pressure is necessary excess moisture out of the their washing.

The release of the pack 1 is indicated by dotted to 23 having engaged the can the gripping hotv Suitable rneans rn 3 ing the packages tor e nnple, a chute 50 is shown on whf .h the packa l gravity.

The salient teatur of noveltv aerein considered to be in the novel inea smoothly applying and stretchi.

beads,

taining both a straight and a completely heri nglap.

The label is rendered soft and stretchy b 1e adhesive, or previous tempering treat ments (see Reissue Patent 1&9-10: Patent 134:6,668) and is then lightly pulled by the paste roll and then light-iv slretchcd by the wrapping be t moving faster than the male roll. .Vhile so held, and being Pl'OQflPPSOd toward the lal'ieling point while the rotary head is b 'inging the relatively rapidly rotating package to the labeling point. it is gripped between the pacl-fag'c and the wrap-- ning belt with suiliicient wiping}; b the faster movement or the paclifage ci'i )liei v to pro v nt wrinkles. because the wiping in sintultaneous with the laying. fatter the rear nd of the label has left the feeding imam, whether paste roll. as herein shown. or the gripping belts in said patents, the wrapping belt has a prog essive wiping and smoothing as well pressing: action on the label. very much like manual labeling. Thus. the r: pidl v rotzting and traveling package does; the pulling and stretching while v-sipinp; or dragging the label over the stressed. slowe moving wrapping belt in close contact there with. Although in a broad aspect. it is not essential that the rotating package having a higher linear speed than that of the wrap ping belt. be also moving" bodily along and in the same direction as the bolt owing to being carrioo on a rotatable head, this con-- jo nt additional. movement is :ulvanlrurcous in eli ecting the wiping and slrclchiin and smoothing action. Also, it is preferable ml ad an'l'ageous to have the wrapping bell ol' such length that the package makes several complete revolutions liie'lfore being; discharged. thereby ver ofiectivcl v sealina the lap and holding the wiping and pro urn until the pa'tial evaporation o the moist up" permits discharge without the label spring);- ing loose due to the contraction of the pa po in drying. It will be further soon that llWH is a progressive increase of spccd lroau olls 37 to paste roll .26 to wrappin pcll 29 to package peripheral speed so that there s no chance for the rear 0'! the label to pile up on the t'ront which one cause oi rink es.

' I claim:

it The coinbi ion with means for rotating a package 0 111921118 for appl vi. hesive tempered label to said id oncd nice direction o otation and travel and yicldinq means occonr I a i ies in the package for pressing and v vipinglthe label on the package.

3. The combination with means for moving and rotating a package, of a belt contacting with the package, means for moving said belt at less than the linear velocity of the portion of the periphery of the package therewith contacting, and means for supplying between the package and said belt an adhesive tempered label, the adhesive side thereof being presented to the package.

4. The combination with means for moving and rotating a package, of a conveyor device receiving an adhesive tempered label and having a yielding portion traveling in the direction of movement and rotation of the package at less than the linear velocity of the adjacent portion of the periphery thereof, said conveyor device being in yielding contact with the package after receiving the label for progressively applying and stretching the label to accommodate inequalities of the package during the combined rotation and travel thereof.

5. The combination with means for moving and rotating a package, of means for supplying an adhesive label in the direction of rotation of the package, and pressing means traveling slower than the package in the same direction to press and wipe the label on the package at the point of application.

6. In a labelling machine, the combination with means for supporting a package, of means having a different speed relative to the surface of the package for pressing and wiping an adhesive tempered label from one end to the other to progressively stretch all parts thereof as the same is applied to the package.

7. The combination with means for rotating and bodily moving a package, of a flexible wrapping belt disposed in the path of movement of the package and tangent thereto to contact therewith, and means driving said belt at a lower speed than that of the package such as to progressively wipe and stretch the label on the package as the package rotates and travels along the belt.

8. The combination with means for rotating a package, of a flexible wrapping belt contacting with the package throughout a plurality of revolutions, means for driving said belt at less than the linear velocity of the portion of the periphery of the package therewith contact-ing, and means for supplying an adhesive label to the package.

9. The combination with a rotating carrier carrying package rotating means. of a flexible beltcooperating therewith to bear on the package throughout a plurality of revolutions while being carried by said carrier, means for driving said belt at less than the linear velocity of the portion of the periphery of the package therewith contacting, and means for supplying an adhesive label between the belt and package.

10. The combination with an adhesive label feeding means, of strippers, a belt receiving the labels from said strippers, a rotary package carrier, means for driving said belt at less than the linear velocity of the adjacent portion of the periphery of the package carried by said grip-ping heads, and rotating package gripping heads on said carrier, said belt being disposed to be deflected by the rotating packages during a portion of their travel on the carrier.

11. The combination with an adhesive label feeding means, of strippers, a. belt receiving the labels from said strippers, a rotary package carrier, and rotating package gripping heads on said carrier, said belt traveling at a lower speed and being disposed to be deflected by the rotating packages during a portion of their travel on the carrier.

12. The combination with means for feeding an adhesive label at one speed, of label carrying means moving at a faster speed receiving the label from said feeding means, and package carrying means causing the package to move at a greater speed than said carrying means and contacting therewith to apply the label to the package before the label has completely left said feeding means thereby stretching the label.

13. The combination with a paste roll for feeding a label adhering thereto, of stripping means. a label carrier traveling at a faster speed to lightly stretch the label as it leaves the paste roll, and means for bringing a rotating package at a higher speed into the path of the label on said carrier to wrap and wipe the same on the package.

14. In a labelling machine, the combination with means for rotatably supporting a package, of a flexible belt having a different speed relative to the periphery of the package for pressing and wiping an adhesive tempered label from one end to the other to progressively stretch all parts of the label as it is applied to the package.

15. The combination with a rotatable package holder, of a yieldable traveling label supporting belt, the belt and package being moved at different rates of speed to stretch the label by the slipping of the label on either the belt or package.

16. The combination with a label wrapping belt, of a pair of pulleys over which said belt travels, a package holder adapted to rotate the package along said belt intermediate said pulleys with the contiguous peripheral portion of the package moving in the same direction as said belt but at a different rate of speed.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 16th day of July, A. D. 1920.

JAMES C. SHULTS. 

